1 week agoAccording to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Houston Astros have traded infielder
Grae Kessinger to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Matthew Linskey. Kessinger was removed from the 40-man roster earlier this offseason when the Astros acquired first baseman
Christian Walker. Across 49 major leagues during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Kessinger held a .131/.243/.213 with just two doubles and one home run. He held a strong 12.0% walk rate but an underwhelming .226 xwOBA. However, across 121 career games at the Triple-A level, the Ole Miss product carried a .271/.363/.407 line with 23 doubles and 12 home runs. Kessinger will likely open the campaign at Triple-A Reno given his struggles in the majors.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chandler Rome
1 week agoAccording to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the New York Mets have met with free-agent relief pitcher
Tanner Scott. Scott is viewed as one of the top remaining relief pitchers available on the open market. Sammon noted that according to a source, the Mets are looking to continue to bolster their current bullpen. Even though they already have an elite closer in
Edwin Diaz, Scott would provide the Mets with a stellar 1-2 punch. Last season, the southpaw posted an excellent 1.75 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP across 72 innings of work. He struck out batters at a solid 28.6% rate and generated an elite 27.5% hard-hit rate and a 4.7% barrel rate. If Scott were to ink a contract with the Mets, fantasy managers should view him as an elite option for holds, as he would likely be deployed as the go-to option in the eighth inning.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Will Sammon
1 week agoAccording to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Boston Red Sox have had multiple discussions with left-handed relief pitcher
A.J. Minter. Minter has spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Atlanta Braves. Last season, the southpaw logged 34 1/3 innings with a 2.62 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Minter was deployed as an eighth inning reliever as a set-up man for closer
Raisel Iglesias. Minter posted a strong 26.1% K rate and generated hard contact at a solid 33.3% rate. However, he had his season cut short after undergoing season-ending hip surgery in August. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his recovery process during Spring Training as he may miss time early. With the Boston Red Sox acquiring
Aroldis Chapman earlier this offseason, fantasy managers should expect Minter to return to a set-up role if he were to come to an agreement with the Red Sox.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chris Cotillo
1
week
agoAccording
to
Gordon
Wittenmyer
of
the
Cincinnati
Enquirer,
Cincinnati
Reds
second
baseman
Matt
McLain
could
see
time
in
the
outfield
in
2025.
Earlier
this
week,
the
Cincinnati
Reds
traded
for
second
baseman
Gavin
Lux
which
complicates
their
infield
read more...
1 week agoAccording to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Reds third baseman
Noelvi Marte could open the 2025 season in the minor leagues. After acquiring
Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Marte could be without a permanent spot in the lineup. The 23-year-old missed the first 80 games of the 2024 season due to a performance enhancing drug suspension and struggled in his return. Across 66 games, the infielder held an underwhelming .210/.248/.301 line with just four home runs and nine stolen bases. However, in his short 35-game stint in the majors in 2023, Marte showcased high upside with a .316/.366/.456 line and three home runs and six stolen bases. Wittenmyer noted that his performance in Spring Training will be crucial in determine his role during the start of the season. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his performance as he could continue to fall on draft boards if his struggles continue to linger.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Gordon Wittenmyer
1 week agoAccording to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the San Francisco Giants have signed free agent starting pitcher
Justin Verlander to a one-year contract pending physical. The 41-year-old had a disappointing season last season with the Astros as he posted a 5.48 ERA and a 1.38 across 90 1/3 innings of work. The right-hander opened the season on the injured list with a shoulder injury and then missed time due to a neck injury. However, during 2022 and 2023, Verlander held a cumulative 2.45 ERA and 0.98 WHIP and was the AL Cy Young winner in 2022. Last season, the veteran saw his K rate drop to a low 18.7% rate but he continued to suppress hard contact as he generated a strong 32.5% hard-hit rate and a 6.9% barrel rate. Fantasy managers should expect Verlander to have a spot in the starting rotation throughout the 2025 campaign and is worth a look in deeper formats as he hopes to bounce back from an injury riddled 2024.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
1 week agoThe Tampa Bay Rays are working to finalize a multi-year contract extension for right-hander
Drew Rasmussen as he plans to return to a starting role in 2025. If the deal is finalized, Rasmussen will get a $500,000 signing bonus, a $2 million salary in 2025, $5.5 million in 2026 and an $8 million option for the 2027 season. His option includes escalator clauses based on health and innings pitched. The incentives make a lot of sense, as the 29-year-old has already had three elbow surgeries in his pitching career. Rasmussen has showed flashes as both a starter and reliever for Tampa, although his whiff rates have been much more impressive as a reliever. In five big-league seasons, Rasmussen has a sharp 2.95 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while striking out 301 and walking 82 in 310 2/3 innings over 99 outings (50 starts). Rasmussen is a big injury risk but is also worth a late-round flier as he transitions back to a starting role.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
1
week
agoMilwaukee
Brewers
right-hander
Brandon
Woodruff
(shoulder)
is
throwing
bullpens
twice
a
week
in
Mississippi
as
part
of
his
normal
offseason
progression.
His
arm
is
feeling
great
and
he's
hoping
to
be
ready
to
go
for
Opening
Day
in
2025,
although
there
is
no
read more...
1
week
agoAccording
to
USA
TODAY's
Bob
Nightengale,
the
New
York
Yankees
are
actively
trying
to
trade
right-hander
Marcus
Stroman
to
clear
his
$18
million
salary.
The
Yankees
have
signed
left-hander
Max
Fried
and
first-baseman
Paulread more...
1 week agoThe Chicago White Sox agreed to a minor-league deal with a non-roster invitation to major-league spring training on Tuesday with free-agent infielder
Bobby Dalbec, according to the White Sox. Dalbec was originally a fourth-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2016 out of the University of Arizona. The 29-year-old right-handed power bat hit a career-high 25 home runs and drove in 78 runs in 133 games for Boston in his second year with the team, but he could never recapture that form and hit a combined 14 long balls in the last three seasons. In the last two years, Dalbec only appeared in 58 games at the big-league level and slashed .159/.234/.235 with a terrible .469 OPS, two home runs, nine RBI and 71 strikeouts in 146 plate appearances. He should have more of an opportunity to contribute at the major-league level with the Pale Hose, but he'll still be off the fantasy radar in 2025 fantasy drafts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Scott Merkin
1
week
agoThe
Toronto
Blue
Jays
are
among
a
half
dozen
teams
that
are
interested
in
free-agent
closer
Carlos
Estevez,
according
to
the
New
York
Post's
Jon
Heyman.
After
letting
former
closer
Jordan
Romano
walk
into
free
agency
after
an
injury-plagued
season
read more...
1
week
agoAccording
to
Francys
Romero,
the
Toronto
Blue
Jays,
Chicago
Cubs,
and
Seattle
Mariners
have
continued
to
show
interest
in
free
agent
third
baseman
Yoan
Moncada.
Romero
noted
that
the
third
base
market
continues
to
wait
as
Alex
Bregman's
read more...
1 week agoAccording to Robert Murray of FanSided.com, the Pittsburgh Pirates have shown interest in free-agent outfielder
Alex Verdugo. While Murray did not indicate how strong the interest was, Verdugo would likely have an everyday role in right field if he joins the Pirates. Last season with the Yankees, the 28-year-old had a disappointing performance, as he held a .233/.291/.356 slash line, which was the lowest of his career. He hit 13 home runs and swiped two bags. While he did not hit the ball hard, he continued to show a great eye at the plate with a 15.0% strikeout rate and 15.5% whiff rate, which were both significantly above the average marks. He has also been an excellent defender throughout most of his career. Currently,
Nick Yorke is slated to be the starting right fielder in the Steel City.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Robert Murray
1 week agoAccording to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds have designated right-handed pitcher
Roansy Contreras for assignment. This transaction opened a roster spot for
Gavin Lux who was acquired via a trade on Monday evening. Contreras was claimed by the Reds earlier this offseason but will now be placed waivers once again. Contreras logged 68 1/3 innings in the majors with Pittsburgh and Los Angeles last season. In this stint, he posted a 4.35 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Under the hood he generated a poor 9.7% barrel rate and a 43.5% hard-hit rate with an underwhelming 18.8% K rate. The 25-year-old would likely open the 2025 season at Triple-A, if he is not claimed by another club.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Gordon Wittenmyer
1 week agoAccording to the team, the Texas Rangers have designated right-handed pitcher
Matt Festa for assignment. This transaction opened a spot on the roster for right-handed pitcher Chris Martin, who the Rangers acquired on Monday evening. Last season, Festa spent time in both the major and minor leagues. In 23 2/3 innings in the big leagues, Festa held a 5.70 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He struck out batters at a modest 24.0% rate and generated a solid 34.3% hard-hit rate. Across 40 innings at Triple-A, the 31-year-old posted a solid 2.70 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 48 punchouts. If Festa can find a new club, he would likely open the season in Triple-A given his struggles in the majors last summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers
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